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The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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Officials name senior vice president, chief of staff
By Fiona Riley, Assistant News Editor • March 26, 2024

UPD arrests triple from this point last year

Spencer Strauss | Hatchet Photographer
Spencer Strauss | Hatchet Photographer

University Police Department has made 21 arrests so far in 2016.

That number is almost three times more than the number of arrests the department had made at this point in 2015. The increase comes after a total of 34 arrests last year – the lowest number of arrests in the last five years, according to University crime logs.

The most common offense is unlawful entry, making up 89 percent of department arrests since 2011. Assault and drug violations led to 54 and 52 of the arrests, respectively.

UPD Chief RaShall Brackney said in an email that there is not one factor that causes the number of arrests to fluctuate. She added that the University and UPD will continue to enforce local and state laws and make arrests when they discover violations of the laws.

“We are committed to providing a safe and secure environment for our students, faculty, staff and the greater GW community,” Brackney said.

Since January, seven of the arrests were for unlawful entry, three were for theft and for assaults, two were for disorderly conduct and two were for drug violations, according to the crime log.

In late February, an individual was arrested for stealing four textbooks totaling more than $1,000 from the GW Bookstore. Around the same time, a female student was arrested for having an open container of alcohol in public, according to the crime log.

A student was arrested in City Hall March 9 for possessing LSD after staff members performed a routine inspection and found a “green leafy substance” in the room.

UPD officers made three unlawful entry arrests in March against unaffiliated individuals who returned to campus after the department previously barred the individuals.

Liz Provencher contributed reporting.

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